A birthday party for your 12-year-old requires solid planning to make the event feel festive and not too childish. Before staging a big bash, consult your 12-year-old. Some tweens prefer a small gathering away from your home, while others want a blowout at your house or at the park. Either way, selecting an interesting theme, activities, decorations and menu will make the event memorable.
Types
Usually, a Sponge Bob party does not cut it for a 12-year-old. Potential themes and thematic activities include a homemade spa day, fashion, rock bands, disco club, vampires, camping, mad scientist laboratory, a murder mystery, role-playing games, cooking and crafts. Extreme sports or adventure parties may take place at locations with laser tag, paint ball, rock climbing, skateboarding or water activities.
Features
Personalized party features make the event feel special. Have guests draw pictures on and sign a large card or a banner with the guest of honor’s name. Print copies of photographs of your child and attach them to cups, serving bowls and balloons. Have your tween put together a soundtrack of favorite hits to play at the event.
Considerations
Some 12-year-olds prefer a simpler, smaller birthday party. A celebratory outing may include a group of friends riding bicycles to a picnic spot, or passing the afternoon together at a water park. A family gathering at a park with a playground can feature a barbecue and a water fight. This age marks a new level of maturity, making a sleepover with a few good friends ideal.
Misconceptions
A 12th birthday party does not have to cost a great deal of money and feature tons of bling. Whiles some tweens have hotel room and spa parties, plenty of them love watching a double feature and eating pizza and popcorn. Make a simple party more interactive by having guests make their own mini pizzas and frost and decorate cupcakes. Games like Twister, Pictionary, Scattergories, Clue, a treasure hunt or a murder mystery will entertain children at this age.
Potential
Your child’s 12th birthday celebration can be a memorable event. Distribute disposable cameras to guests to ensure lots of posing and antics, and to have plenty of special footage of the event. Have guests sign a scrapbook with funny jokes and memories about the guest of honor. Enlist someone to film the party and edit it to create a montage of the event’s highlights.
Photo Credit
- easter holiday cupcakes image by nextrecord from Fotolia.com
